Capitol Hill Blue Forums Life and Moral Issues Crime & Punishment Illegal Immigration and Appropriate Penalties

Well, I was quoting from the other article that described Florida tomato-pickers as getting 1.5 cents per pound, while a consortium got together and got some major fast food chains (McDonalds, Burger King, Yum! - which has Taco Bell, Hardee's, Arby's and others) to pay an extra 1 cent per pound, which apparently will equal the minimum wage. It didn't happen, though, because Burger King objected - it would cost them around $250,000 - they claim that this would mean only $100 or so to each worker and 'that won't help them out of poverty' (from the BK rep)

Even if they paid DOUBLE the minimum wage, that would only be another 2.5 cents per pound! Would even that break the bank? I suspect someone's blowing smoke...

Here's another article about the deal (although I doubt their existing wages are $11/hr!)

BTW, here's the original article I was referring to, provided by Stereoman earlier:

Slave labor that shames the US

Took me awhile to find it, this thread is growing by leaps and bounds! Clearly a good topic for discussion, Mellow!

Just a little reminder that not all immigrants work in the fields. Here in Florida, there are many little companies set up by immigrants in the construction industry...drywall, roofing, painting, concrete, etc. Also, take a close look when you drive through a construction zone in some places. And those Chinese restaurants? If you happen to be in Miami, you'll note the waiters all speak Spanish...although an interesting thing about that. Many of the Chinese restaurants are owned by Chinese-Cubans, who've been in the tropics since Havana's heyday in the 40s.

EmmaG

now imagine if press reports of Mexican undocumented workers were as positive as the one I posted.

Unless youre being a work snob, eheir work is no less important to the US, and yet the value - beyond the economic value to US employers is rarely, if ever, talked about.

I know in Ireland the care "industry" depends on Immigrants, of both kinds. We had 4 different people helping look after my father throughout his long illness. My family could not have coped without these people (some were good, some were great, one was terrible!)

Our healthcare system, bth in terms of assistants, cleaners and other support staff depends on immigrants - both documented and otherwise.

Irish birthrates are falling, as are those of most "western" countries. we need immigrants and their off spring to maintain populations in our societies.

I cannot even begin to desribe the richness immigrants have brought to my country, we were an isolated backwater in Europe, but joining the EU and our recent immigration rush has broadened our cultural base.

yet the discussion jumps right into penalties. it should really start with an honest, sober and logical debate on immigration, its effects, and the possible consequences of any action(s).

Unfortunately rhetoric has driven this debate in the US - and is doing so here in many European countries (Ireland is still relatively immune as our economy is going ok - but slowing, im sure we will hear the same crap coming from here soon).

Ardy - I've looked back through some links on the immigration protests in 2006, and I'm not finding demands to full US citizenship. I'm finding protests against increasing penalties against illegals (a new law pending at that time,) and a hope for a path - a path - to citizenship.

Statements like yours gloss over the reality and add unnecessary fuel to the fire. The situation in reality is difficult enough; exaggeration can't help.

!!!

Indeed. Your comment got me to thinking: how many of those virulent anti-brown Minuteman types are boycotting all those fast food chains that are using undocumented workers to pick their tomatoes? Why aren't they as hateful, demeaning, and dehumanizing towards Ronald McDonald as they are toward Juan Valdez?


Maybe it's just my skewered perspective spinning an otherwise innocuous assertion, but isn't that kind of like saying there aren't enough American citizens and documented workers willing to do the job at the pay rate being offered, so they "have to" hire more undocumented workers because they are willing?

I had to scratch my head over those numbers a bit. First of all, I wondered, $100 per what? Well, I guess it must be per week, eh? Sure ain't a day! Nor a month, one must hope.

So an extra penny a pound equals an extra franklin a week. That means to earn an extra c-note, they must pick ten thousand pounds of tomatoes each week.

Ten thousand pounds. That works out to, hmm. A six day week, 1,667 pounds day. 180 pounds per hour, 9 hours a day. 3 pounds per minute. Every minute.

Wow.

Now, the second thing that caught my eye. If a one cent per pound increase yields a $100 a week raise in income, then how much are they getting per week at 1.5 cents per pound?

Now recall the comment of the Burger King executive, who probably makes $100 an hour. Or more.


Them.

Many slicing tomatoes are about a pound each, so picking 3 a minute seems an easy task.

They probably pick green fruit and gas it to turn it red, while keeping the firm waxy texture and tasteless qualities needed for shipping.

Protest by telling BurgerKing to hold the tomato and the E. Coli lettuce? Who would miss the lack of taste, and bloody cramping diarrhea? Buy and eat what is local, and save all the energy needed to ship all the tasteless unhealthy "food" that nobody really wants anyway.

No worthless veggies, no worthless jobs, rake your own lawn, no need for worthless workers, problem solved.

It seems a lot simpler, or at least politically desirable, to just dump on Mexicans.

Careful, pondering_it_all, that kind of talk tends to overly excite the Neo New Dealers who may be reading.:-))
Yours,
Issodhos

I think that is what I said.

In Japan, it is my understanding, they have not succumbed to any progressive nonsense and still adhere to the Natural Order of things. Those who do such work in Japan are the sons and daughters of those who did such work in Japan before, as far back as man has lived. It is the way of things.

Such Truths are not tolerated in the PC world of Liberalville, USA.